Oil Kings find their offence in 6-3 win over Brandon in battle of the WHL Kings

Generating offence was always going to be a challenge for the Edmonton Oil Kings with four of their top six scorers moving on from last season.

The Oil Kings are getting production from some of their veterans and are patiently waiting for their young players to find their footing in the Western Hockey League.

Things are coming along as the Oil Kings broke out in the first game of a three-game road trip with five goals against the Swift Current Broncos, then netted six straight in a 6-3 come-from-behind win against the Brandon Wheat Kings on Saturday.

Davis Murray, Ty Gerla, Aaron Irving, Colton Kehler, Davis Koch and Lane Bauer scored for the Oil Kings in the final game of the trip, which they finished with a 2-1-0 record. Goaltender Patrick Dea made 24 saves for the Oil Kings in the win.

“Being on the road is a little bit tough, but I feel like the road is a good bonding experience and it’ll help us come together and I’m hoping it’ll be a positive for the future,” said forward Trey Fix-Wolansky. “Obviously, the road brings everyone closer together. I think it’s going to be a positive for us moving forward with our team, getting all the rookies to feel more comfortable. It’s pretty new to us to have these longer road trip, so it’s pretty important for the older guys and the newer guys.”

Fix-Wolansky got off to a great start to the season scoring the first goal at Rogers Place in a opening-night win against the Red Deer Rebels. Heading into Saturday’s game against the Wheat Kings, Fix-Wolansky had five goals and 13 points in 17 games.

“The first few games it took a little bit to get used to the speed and size and stuff,” Fix-Wolansky said. “As the games have gone on with the help of my teammates and the coaching staff it’s been really good to get a feel to what kind of game it is. I’ve had a lot of help from a lot of people and that’s helped me with the success that I’ve had.”

Fix-Wolansky had 16 goals and 31 points in 51 regular-season games with the Spruce Grove Saints last season and added another five goals and 14 points in 14 playoff games, which garnered the attention of the Oil Kings.

He’s come into the season looking to make up some of the 185 points lost by the departure of Brett Pollock, Dysin Mayo, Brandon Baddock and Ben Carroll.

“I don’t think it’s a sense of feeling that I have to,” Fix-Wolansky said. “I think it’s more so me telling myself that’s the kind of player I am, so I should be doing those types of things. It’s not really pressure in anyway it’s more so being able to tell yourself it’s a bigger step so you’re going to have to go out every night and be the offensive guy you want to be.”

Having navigated his way through the first two months of the season, Fix-Wolansky is starting to feel more comfortable in the league. He’s hoping as more first-year players become familiar with the WHL, the Oil Kings will begin to collect wins.

In the victory against the Wheat Kings, Edmonton fell behind 3-0 to a pair of goals from Reid Duke and another from Tyler Coulter.

Murray, Gerla and Irving counted in the second period to tie the game, before Kehler, Koch and Bauer added third-period goals.

“Every team has some ups and downs during the season, we’re just trying to take the positives learning from them,” Fix-Wolansky said. “There is no doubt in my mind our team is going to come together and be a very good team. Just kind of getting the sense of what’s going to be going on in the next few months is the most important thing for the young guys and the old guys to come together as a group and be a more sound team.”

The key for the Oil Kings was to stay positive through the early growing pains. They are still very much within striking distance of a playoff spot with three-quarters of the season to play.

“You have to stay true to yourself all the time, and positivity is the main thing,” Fix-Wolansky said. “If one guy gets down then it’s going to pass on to every player on the team. And if one guys is being positive, then everyone else wants to be positive too. Really, one guy can shape what kind of team they’re going to be, so it’s important whether it’s a win or a loss to stay positive and to stay positive on the bench and have each others backs.”

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